


Sky Kings

by EzraTheBlue



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Class Differences, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecurity, Inspired by Music, M/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21525130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: Prompto, a scholarship student at the most prominent musician's university in Insomnia, meets Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio, fellow students, and find that they can make some beautiful music together. However, Prompto comes from a very different world from all of them, and all of them have different obstacles along their path to the top...
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38





	Sky Kings

**Author's Note:**

> Consider this something of an experiment, so to speak. I've been calling this a jukebox fanfiction, because of its nature. There's going to be a lot of music references and links to songs. I'll definitely construct a playlist as we go, but it seems like all of the major events in my outline are centered around a song.
> 
> Please note that this fanfic is OT4, but with a focus on Promptis. 
> 
> Do mind the tags, because the outline does contain some more serious material later. As this work is still an outline, I may update tags as we go if something significant sneaks its way into the narrative. In addition, the fic is rated Mature for events planned for later chapters, but I may adjust the rating to Explicit depending on how I decide to approach certain scenes. 
> 
> Finally: the songs used in this chapter are "Young Volcanoes" by Fall Out Boy, and "A Favor House Atlantic," by Coheed and Cambria.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On an off chance, Prompto ends up in a jam session with three guys like nobody he's ever met before.

**1: A Favor...**

The practice rooms in Highwind Hall were already full up, and Prompto cursed that he’d dared sleep in past seven when he knew he had an original composition due in three days. He hiked his bag straps up his shoulder as he bolted down the hall one more time, hoping someone might step out. He thought he’d finally spotted an open door, but just as he got there, he saw a familiar-looking dark-haired guy shutting it. Prompto swore as the door clicked shut, and debated for ten seconds knocking and asking if they could team up. He really needed the practice, and having someone to practice with wouldn’t hurt.

He knew that guy from his Advanced Guitar lecture halls: Noctis, the quiet bassist who seemed to sleep through the lectures but still walked away with high grades. He looked familiar for some other reason, but Prompto couldn’t place it. Either way, he had been meaning to get up the nerve to talk to him. 

Today wasn’t the day. He’d played alone up until now, what was another few sessions? Besides, he had a lot of work to do. Prompto turned from the door and started to shuffle away, until he heard a whistle and stood to attention in a snap. “Argentum.” Prompto didn’t move as Professor Leonis strode down the hall towards him. Professor Leonis was ex-military, and every student who’d had him for even a semester ended up as his soldier. Prompto’d had him three times, and he was only in his third semester. Professor Leonis stopped and stood in front of him. “Late finding a practice room, boy?”

“Yes, sir.” He smiled sheepishly despite himself. “Bad luck on my part.”

“Hmph. This close to midterms, it’s damn near impossible sometimes, and some fools hog the things.” Professor Leonis motioned. “Come with me.”

“Yessir!” For some reason, Professor Leonis liked Prompto. Maybe it was because he was exactly scared enough of the man, but he’d also worked harder than anyone he’d seen to impress him _because_ he was scared of the man.

Professor Leonis unlocked the door to one of the larger demonstration rooms, set up with risers surrounding a pit, usually used for class practice sessions. “The acoustics in here are a little different from the smaller rooms, but you’re the kind of natural showman who can fill it.” He gestured to the amps at the front of the room, the covered drums and a grand piano, a few rows of empty chairs. “There are no reservations in here until eleven. You have three hours.”

“Thanks, Professor!” Prompto saluted him again, grinning, then swept his hair back and set his guitar case down against the blackboard and put his laptop bag down on a chair. He got his guitar out next, a black Concert-level acoustic-electric Fender, and tested it first, finger-picking an adaptation of Mozart’s Sonata No. 16 he’d come up with for a final during his first semester and tuning it as he went until it sounded just right. Then, he plugged it into the amp and gave her a good hard strum with his index and thumb pressing down a C. The chord filled the room with a sonorous thrum, and Prompto smiled with satisfaction. 

He took a breath, took a little solace in knowing he wasn’t a voice major, and began to pound out the beat on his guitar as he launched into a warm-up, a cover of one of his favorite, and sang at the top of his lungs: 

[_“When Rome’s in ruins, we are the lions, freed of the Coliseum!”_ ](https://youtu.be/B-XUjmkrSe8)

He kept up the beat by tapping his foot on the chair, balancing his guitar on his bent knee as he strummed out the chords. _“In poisoned places, we are anti-venom, we’re the beginning of the end…”_

There was a noise at the door, but Prompto was already way into the song. Music was his life, absolutely one of his favorite things, third in line behind sightseeing (especially when he got to take some good photos!) and video games. When he was playing and singing, he felt like a different person, someone more confident than he was, someone people could like. As it was, he’d kind of had to get himself as far as he had. He’d been shy most of his life, and was only barely starting to come out of his shell now. However, he’d worked his way into a full-ride scholarship at his dream college and things only seemed to be getting better.

When he was here, he was more _him_ than he’d ever been. He didn’t even mind that someone was watching him at the door now. He didn’t even mind that the someone in particular was _Noctis._

Instead, his natural showmanship took over as he fingerpicked out the piano accompaniment to the second verse: _“C’mon, make it easy, say I never mattered, run it up the flagpole_ …” He winked at Noctis. _“We will teach you how to make boys next do-or out of assholes!”_ He laughed naturally at his own joke, and strummed on into the bridge, even though he could feel Noctis watching him now. _“Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds, it’s all over now, before it has begun, we’ve already won!”_

He kicked hard at the chorus, but he heard another voice join his: _“WE AAAAAAAARE WILD, We are like young volcanoes!”_ Prompto had never heard that voice before, but there it was, singing the harmony like the moon reflecting his sunlight, and it startled him into dropping his pick. He yelped and tried to snatch it, which resulted in him nearly dropping the guitar, and he barely managed to keep himself together long enough to prevent a feedback squeal. When he looked around to the door again, Noctis was gone.

“Oh.” Prompto wondered if he’d imagined him being there at all. Well, that was enough warm-up, anyway. Instead, he opened up his laptop and the composition program, and his last set of critiques from TA Ulric’s review of his draft recording, and got down to work testing out a few new riffs.

When his time was up, Prompto left with his laptop and guitar strapped around his shoulders, but when he emerged into the hall, there was Noctis again. This time, he wasn’t alone. There were two other men in the hall: one huge guy with an undercut hawk and tattoos all down his muscled arms, and a slight, tall man with glasses dressed like he belonged in an office, hair sleek and slicked back and trendy glasses perched on his nose. Oh, man, they must have been waiting on him. Prompto ducked his head down a little as if they might not notice him if he sank low enough. Both of the unfamiliar men seemed to be staring Prompto down as he walked past, but he noticed each of them subtly observe him as he loped down the hallway. However, when he passed Noctis, he realized they were both looking at him, and just as he passed Noctis, Noctis cleared his throat.

“Hey.” Prompto turned, just as Noctis extended a hand. “A favor…”

“Oh, hi! What’s up?” Prompto grinned and extended his hand. “Name’s Prompto, what can I do for ya?” 

Noctis actually smiled back and shook Prompto’s hand. “Noctis.” Then, he looked down, dragging the words out. “I wanted to ask… A Favor…" Prompto held his breath, until Noctis finished: "House Atlantic.”

Prompto started, then the pieces snapped into place. “Oh, Coheed and Cambria?”

“Yeah.” Noctis’ face lit up. “You know it? You got some time?” He motioned to the other two. “We’ve been looking for a really strong lead guitar and another vocalist. I’d like to test you out. Would you mind jamming with us a little?” 

Prompto started for a second, then grinned with glee. “Gimme ten minutes while you guys get warmed up. I’m down.”

One quick internet search later, Prompto hurried to review the chord progression and the main riffs, then pulled up the song to give it a listen on his earbuds, as Noctis tuned up his guitar. The man with the glasses pulled the cover off of the piano and flexed his fingers, as the big guy brought the drum set forward from the chalkboard so all of him could fit behind it. “Am I substituting for the bassist for this one?” The man in the glasses had asked that, and Prompto glanced up as Noctis gave a jerky nod towards him.

“Yeah, Coheed has this cool dueling guitars thing, otherwise I’d get the bass." He noticed Prompto listening and watching, and explained with a little smirk: "I’m kind of versatile like that. There’s no keyboards in this song anyway. Prompto, you got the lead guitar and the backing vocals, and I’ll do the main vocals. Gladio, I’m gonna want you on backing vocals too.”

The big guy chuckled heartily. “Sure, sure, fine. Can the little guy handle it?”

Prompto glanced up long enough to grin at the big guy. “Yeah, for sure!” He pulled his headphones off and pulled his guitar back into the amp. “Besides, this is just a jam session, we’re not getting married or anything. Let’s just have fun!” Prompto knew that if he was going to keep a straight face, he was going to try _not_ to take this too seriously. He tested the tuning on his guitar. “I’m ready when you guys are.”

Noctis looked over to the well-dressed man. “Specs, you good?”

The man with the glasses gave Noct a rather stern look. “Your manners aren’t. Noctis, would you kindly…” He trailed off, then looked rather indicatively between Prompto and the big guy.

“What - oh. Oh.” Noctis furrowed his brow, then turned and faced Prompto, then motioned to the upperclassman. “Uh, my friends." He indicated the pianist. "Ignis does keyboards and some strings, and," he swung his hand around to the big guy. "Gladio does drums and bass guitar and some other percussion odds and ends.”

“Ignis Scientia,” Ignis added, and held his hand out to Prompto, and Prompto lifted his eyes from the chord progression to shake it. “I’m in the Master’s program for Music Business.”

“You can just call him Specs,” Noctis added. “Everyone does.”

“ _You_ do, Noctis.” Ignis flicked Noctis a fond but oddly sharp smile.

“Gladiolus Amicitia, but like Noct said, Gladio’s fine for me.” Gladio pulled his overshirt off, stripping down to just a tank, and Prompto had to swallow twice. Turned out, what Prompto had thought were sleeves was a tattoo of an eagle that wrapped all the way around his back, over his broad, muscular shoulders. Suddenly Prompto wasn’t sure if he wanted to _be_ Gladio or _be_ … much closer to Gladio. “Pretty sure I’m just here for equipment most of the time. I’m just minoring in percussion. My major’s in electrical engineering and design.”

“He does the soundboards, mostly.” Noctis gave Gladio a sideways smirk. “Plus, we’ve been playing together since forever, and I don’t think I’d be nearly as good as I am if he didn’t keep challenging me. Plus Igs.” Noctis jerked his head towards him. “We’ve all kind of known each other forever.”

“It helps that we can each somewhat rival each other with complementary talents.” Ignis laughed through his nose and glanced sideways to Gladio. “Though we do each have our specialties.”

“Even Noct can’t beat my drums.” Gladio chuckled. “But I’d say Igs is _key_ to our success.”

Noctis scoffed and winked at Prompto. “Don’t let them _string_ you along, I’m the band leader when it comes to this _riff-_ raff.”

Prompto had to strain not to bust out laughing, but managed to join in, “I imagine that trying it out will help us come to ac- _chord_ on just who can handle what.”

Ignis laughed, Gladio smirked, and Noctis was plainly delighted, eyes alight, smile oddly brilliant. Prompto kind of loved that expression on his face, for the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it second it lasted. 

"Okay, let's try it." Noctis strummed a few times, then caught Prompto's eye. "You ready?"

"You got it!" Prompto ran his fingers up the frets of his Fender as he got to a stand. Gladio lifted his sticks.

"On my count." Gladio tapped the drumsticks together. Ignis spread his fingers over the keys, and Noctis shut his eyes tight. Gladio tapped his sticks four times to get the beat, then struck the bass and mid tom to set them off, and Prompto felt all of them shift from four guys to a _band_ the second Noctis struck a chord.

[Noctis broke in with the rhythm guitar, and Prompto counted beats before wailing in with the first riff.](https://youtu.be/IcrCoHFUML0) Ignis jammed the bass rhythm on the piano, with tiny flourishes and a steady hand. Gladio was confident on the beat, every roll and slap perfect against Noctis' rhythm, and Prompto slid in just as naturally as if he'd been there all along. Noctis couldn't match the original singer's timbre, by he hit the notes and he sounded like he meant every word.

_"Good eye, sniper, I'll shoot, you run!"_

Prompto answered, _"The words you scribbled on the wall, the loss of friends you didn't have,"_ and Noctis was beaming again as he sang on. 

Prompto had never been part of a band before. Even when he'd been assigned partners, it had never felt right. It worked well enough for him to get by, but it was just an assignment, more a duet than a real collaboration. With these guys, however, Prompto could feel the flow, like give and take. Prompto knew just when to distort or crescendo, and Noctis answered with an extra hard kick on the rhythm guitar for flourish. Gladio and Ignis were right behind them, filling out the sound. They felt complete. Prompto felt like he was soaring as his fingers flew across the frets and his Fender sang for them, even as the last note echoed out and buzzed through the room.

The moment the sound faded, the four of them looked to one another, Noctis and Prompto turning to each other, then back to Gladio and Ignis. Then, Gladio threw his sticks down and jumped to his feet. "This is the one, Noct. He's the guy!" 

"Yeah," Noctis said, grinning again, sheepish but eager, and he set his guitar on his knee and patted . "Prompto, you're exactly what we're looking for."

"I concur," Ignis added. "You're talented and get along with Noctis, a talent in and of itself." He smiled wryly, as Noctis scoffed.

"But your sound is just right. Seriously. We gotta hang." Noctis carefully set his guitar down and took out his phone. "Can we swap numbers?"

"Absolutely!" Prompto carefully put his guitar down on a chair and took his phone out, and Ignis and Gladio joined the huddle. 

In minutes, Prompto had three new contacts, and all of them wore their contentment with different shapes of smiles. "We were thinking of performing a few shows as a group, as part of an independent project for next semester," Noctis explained as he put his phone away. "Do you still have to do one too?"

"I haven't even looked at the 400-level requirements, but I think I do." Prompto turned between the three others. "I'm in." 

"Awesome." Noctis' eyes crinkled up with his next smile. "And maybe we could hang sometimes? I see the King's Knight icon on your laptop."

Prompto squeaked and jumped around to see his computer still open and half of his desktop visible next to his recording program's taskbar. Also, a close-up photograph of a chocobo in the background. Whoops. 

"A man after Noctis' heart," Ignis remarked coolly. "He loves video games more than air. The fastest way to win him over is letting him beat you in PvP." 

Prompto instinctively snapped back: "Like I'd let him!"

"Like you'd _have to_ let me!" Noctis cackled, still grinning. "But for now, while we're all here, one more jam session?"

Prompto's phone buzzed just then, and he checked the time and saw an alert. "Aw man, I can't. I gotta go Sphere my scholarship liaison. But buzz me later, okay?" Noctis moaned with disappointment (to a soft rebuke from Ignis), and Prompto made to pack his guitar and laptop in an awful hurry. Gladio helped Prompto load his laptop into the bag.

"You're a scholarship student, huh?" Gladio held the bag wide, as Ignis helped roll up the adapter and Noctis packed his guitar and spare strings. 

"Yeah, an average guy like me wouldn't be here otherwise." Prompto chuckled a little, as Noctis shook his head.

"I think you're more than average, dude." He passed Prompto his guitar bag. "Text me later, okay? We can meet up and talk about the project when you have time."

"You got it!" Prompto pointed finger guns at Noctis and shot them off - _pow pow!_ \- then spun on his heel. "See you guys later!"

Prompto flew on his feet as he bolted out with his guitar and laptop bags heavy at his side, still walking on air at the thought of having a jam group to play with. It had felt so good to hear other voices join with his, the interwoven sounds. It was like he'd twisted his soul with all of theirs for a few minutes and felt truly _right._

He skidded into his rental house just off campus, nearly tripping over the cello case left in the foyer before bounding past one of his housemates to the stairs. (His housemates were okay guys, really, Prompto just wasn't close with them.) He shut his door tight and opened up his laptop again, and the Sphere call came through the moment his wi-fi connected again. Prompto slicked his hair back into place before accepting. The image appeared instantly: A familiar, beautiful young woman a few years Prompto's senior, with pale blonde hair plaited and laid on her shoulder.

_"Good afternoon, Prompto."_

"Hello, Miss Fleuret!" Prompto hopped into his computer chair. "It's nice to see you!"

 _"It's wonderful to see you as well, Prompto."_ Her eyes crinkled up. _"As ever, you may call me Luna."_

"M-miss Luna." Prompto smiled sheepishly. Lunafreya Nox Fleuret was his liaison, and she checked on him once a month to have him show her his grades and update her on his progress. She was the nicest person in the entire world, Prompto was sure, who always smiled and praised him when he was good and gently chided him when his grades dipped. He just wanted to see her smile, really. "Let me pull up the Blackboard website, okay?"

He pulled up his grades and read off his percentages, and she nodded. _"It sounds like you're working hard! Are you enjoying school too?"_

"I'm doing my best!"

Lunafreya's face lit with warm affection. _"Are you getting along with your classmates?"_

"Yeah! Oh! I actually met this guy today, Noctis, and we played a jam session with two of his buddies!"

 _"Noctis?"_ Lunafreya gasped, raising her eyebrows. _"Noctis Caelum?"_

"Noctis who?" Prompto frowned curiously, as Lunafreya took her phone out, looking down from the camera, and flipping through a few screen before turning the phone back towards the camera.

 _"Is it him?"_ She put the screen close, and Prompto saw a photograph of a familiar dark-haired boy, a few years younger than Noctis but still wearing his face.

"I... I think so. He plays guitar and bass."

 _"He used to play piano, too."_ Lunafreya put her phone back in her lap, eyebrows knit up.

"Ignis does," Prompto said without thinking, and Lunafreya nodded, eyes low.

_"Gladiolus played with you as well?"_

"Yeah." Prompto leaned in, feeling a little dizzy. Lunafreya cracked a smile.

_"Noctis Lucis Caelum. We were friends a long time ago, before Empire Management purchased Black Beauty Recordings."_

Prompto gasped, as it hit him. "Wait - _Lucis Caelum?!_ As in, Regis Lucis Caelum, the president of Sky-High Records?!"

 _"The one and only."_ Lunafreya nodded somberly. _"Noctis is his only son, and a dear friend of mine."_

"Wow." Prompto slouched into his chair, rubbing at his head. This was something. This was something huge. How had he not noticed who Noctis was?! 

_"Can I ask you a favor?"_ Lunafreya leaned forward at her desk. _"Sadly, I've not been able to associate with Noctis for some time, except discreetly, but I would appreciate if you would be a friend to him."_ She smiled fondly. _"You're a nice person. He could use someone like you in his life."_

"Do you think so?" Prompto bit his lip, crossing his arms tight. "I... I had a lot of fun with him, but... I mean, what would someone like him want from someone like me?"

 _"Ever since things became tense with Empire..."_ Lunafreya trailed off, her eyes drifting downwards. _"He's needed a friend."_

Prompto swallowed thickly, and nodded. He could still blink and be back in the moment when they were playing, and he'd never felt so connected to another person in his life. "I'll try. I wanna be his friend too."

 _"Thank you."_ Lunafreya lifted her face, smiling again. _"I'll check in on you again soon. Take care!"_

"You too." Prompto slumped back in his chair as Lunafreya ended the Sphere call, and scrubbed his hand down his face.

He'd finally found a band to jam with, and the frontman was the heir to Sky-High Records, only the biggest name in music! And then there was him, an Empire scholarship student. A broke nobody, for one, and for two, practically in the pocket of their biggest competitor. Would Noctis actually want to be friends with someone like him?

Noctis' smile, his voice, and the way their guitars sounded together reverberated in his head. His promise to Lunafreya was fresh on his tongue.

He smiled. "I can try, at least. I'll regret it if I won't." He stretched a hand out and grabbed his Fender, then pushed back from his desk so he could plug in and tune for practice. "No regrets." 

Prompto hoped this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, if not a great adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!!


End file.
